Advertising display device.



U. P. ROSS.

ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-23, 1914. 1,128,522. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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WITNESSES INVENTUR m 3W @YKLLZ? 7? 7 Q15.

ATTUFINEY 'HE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHDTaLlTHa. WASHINGTON L c. P. ROSS. ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 23, 1914.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: MW 6 THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTG-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. C

U. P. ROSS.

ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED A1R.23, 1914.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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c. W qr ATTORNEY (HE NORRIS PETERS CD.. PHom-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. c.

s. PJROSS. ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLIOA'EIONIILED APBHZS, 1914.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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CHARLES IE. ROSS, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed April 23, 1914. Serial No. 833,843.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Advertising Display Devices, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to advertising devices, and has for its obj eot the provision of apparatus designed to exhibit merchandise under an atmosphere of mystery and with so-called magical effect to attract attention and hold the interest of an assemblage of people while displaying the outward appearance of the goods and familiarizing the public with its trade-mark and distinguishing characteristics.

The invention consists in the novel construction of a cabinet for the display of a carton or container of an article to be advertised, the adaptation of devices for collapsing and distending the carton, and the combination' therewith of actuating mechanism and apparatus for the timely operation of the various parts and devices, as will be fully described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally set forth in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of my invention, with portions broken away to disclose some of the interior apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same with the side wall removed, and showing the base in section disclosing the actuating mechanism therein. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 withthe apparatus in another position. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a detail of the invention. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the operating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the device with the cabinet door open and disclosing the carton. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with the carton masked.

Referring to said views, the reference numeral 5 design-ates a base having the motorchamber 6 wherein the motor and powertransmitting mechanism, hereinafter described, is contained. Mounted upon said base and spaced therefrom upon legs 7 is a cabinet comprising an illusion compartment 8 including the greater part of the cabinet and an apparatus compartment 9 at one side thereof of relatively narrow width and occupying the entire side wall of the cabinet. The cabinet consists in the top and bottom Walls 10 and 11, respectively, the front wall 12 having a hinged door 13 opening outwardly, the back wall 15 and the side walls 16 and 17, the latter of which is removable to give access to the apparatus in the compartment 9 between which and the compartment 8 is the party wall 18. The front wall is symmetrically proportioned upon opposite sides of the door so that the door is positioned about midway thereof and the eX- istence of the compartment 9 will be scarcely noticeable. At the rear of said compartment 8 in proximity of the rear wall 15 is a leaf 20 having a hinge-rod 21 at its lower edge pivotally mounted in the opposite side walls 16 and '17 a short distance forwardly of said rear wall and protruding into the compartment 9 where it is provided with a crank-lever 22. Said leaf is arranged to make a relatively close fit about its edges with the adjoining walls of the cabinet both in its vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, and its horizontal position shown in Fig. 3, wherein it respectively represents to the view the real rear and bottom walls of compartment 8 with sufiicient accuracy as seen through the door-opening in the front wall. A. folding carton which is designed in size and general appearance after the container of the goods to be advertised, displaying thereon the trademarkof the goods in order to familiarize the public with its characteristics, is connected to the rear surface 20 of said leaf by its bottom wall 23 to which is hin-gedly secured the front wall 25. Side walls 26 are hingedly connected to the front wall to fold outwardly, and a top wall 27 is similarly connected to the front wall to fold inwardly when the leaf is elevated to its upright position, as indicated in Fig. 2,-and as will be presently explained. A strip 28 is hingedly connected at its opposite ends to the rear face of said front wall of the. carton and to the rear wall 15 of the cabinet in substantial parallelism with the leaf 20 so that the front wall 25 of the carton is maintained in vertical position at all times. A link 31 is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the top wall 27 and said strip substantially in parallelism with the vertical front wall 25 so that said wall 27 follows the movementsand inclinations of said strip and folds downwardly as the leaf is elevated into its erect position. The side Walls 26 are each pivotally connected to said strip by links 32, the connections with the said walls being below the elevation of the strip when the carton is in distended condition, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that as the leafisswung upwardly and the lower portion of the carton approaches the strip, said links push the respective side wall 26 outwardly until they Y aresubstantially in parallel planes with the leaf and the links 32- extend in about horizontal directions and at right angles to the strip 28. It will thus be seen thatthe carton is folded flatwise between the leaf and the back wall to occupy as little space as practicable when the leaf is erect'and is distended to the verisimilitude of a container' for merchandise when the leaf isgin horizon- Jta'l position. In both cases, as hasf'been stated, the leaf represents the back wallor the bottom of the cabinet as the case may be, and is painted a uniform color and is" of as exact a fit as possible to bear out the del ception. Thefront doorsl3 is arranged to close while the leaf is being swung in either of'its said positions and then open thereafter, disclosing the altered condition of the compartment, alternately exhibiting an apparently normal package of goods, and then: showing the same compartment empty.

The apparatus for actuating the door and leaf in their proper order is located in the 41 is pivoted at one end to a stud 42 which is secured to the wall'l8, and atits free end the dog is formed with a flange .43 provided, as shown in F ig.. 5, witha slot 43 A link 45 connects the swinging end of said dog with said arm 37 represents a vertically disposed operating-rod which is reciprocatively actuated fromthe motor chamber 6 and whichextends through the tubular leg 7 7 so as to be concealed fromthe spectators.

Saidrod is vertically reciprocated in aguide 51 which is disposed to be at a distancebelow the dog41 and insaid slot 43 of the latter and is provided with pin 52 in line with ashoulder' 53. of link 45' Said rod is' provided in proximity to its upper end with -'i,;a notch 55 adapted to operatively'engage said dogin each of its reciprocating movements, as will presently be described. Said door 13 is pivotally mounted at itslower edge in theside'walls of the cabinet and its pivot 56is formed with a crank-lever 57' and a terminal pin 58 receivable in an angular slot 60-:of a bar 61 pivoted at its opposite end. coil-spring 62 is connected to said pin 58 and tends to draw the lever 57 downwardlyto close said door. A lever 63 is adapted to be engaged by pin 52 at the up-- per extremity of' the travel of rod 50,'and a lever 65 performs the same office upon the lowermost travel of said rod. Lever 63 is pivoted, at 66 and is connected to bar 61 by a link 67, and lever 65 is pivoted to a bracket 68 and connectedto, said bar at70. In said motor-chamber, 71 represents the motor, 72

,a crank-shaft and 73 operative connections to rotate the latter at a constant-uniform speed. A 'crank-pinl75 is engaged with a slotted head -7 6 at the lower extremity of' rod '50, the slot whereof is designed to communicate an intermittent motion to said rod,

the vertical travel of the rod. being relat'ively slight at the two extremities of its movement wherein the door is open, giving time to the onlookers'to observe. the condition of the exposed compartment, while the period during which the door is closed and the change of position iseifected in the leaf i 20 is relatively short due to the greater speed given the rod during the intermediate: POItiOn travel i v Themechanism just describedoperates in the manner. and sequence as follows :Assume ing that the apparatus is in the position represented in Fig. 2'wherein the'leaf 20 is folded; upwardly andthefront door 13 is open for the apparently empty conditionof initsuppermost position and the pin 52 is in engagement with the lever 63 thereby compartment 8 to be observed, the rod50is' holding the door closed through its connection with bar 61. Further rotation of the crank-shaft 72 causes the rod 50 to recipro- Y cate downwardly-releasing the lever 63,

whereatthe spring 62 asserts itself to draw downwardly the crank-lever 57 and close the door. Immediately thereafter "in the continued movement of the-rod, the notch 55 is presented to the" flange 43' of said dog,

whereupon the resiliency of the rod causes the'upperend of the same "to be moved rear- -wardly to engage the dog within the notch and, a being thus engaged, the dog is swung downwardly with "the rod for a distance sufficient for-the link 45 to influence the arm 37 3 to swing the crank-lever 22downwardly in opposition to thespring 40 and'thereby swing the leaf 2O downwardly into'the p osition illustrated in Fig 3. The notch 55 thus engages'thedog 41 through a 'sufiicient arc of movement to effect the described lowering of the leaf, whereupon in the continued downward movement of "the rod the latter yields'sufiiciently'to allow the latter to escape from its connection with the dog and pass on. The link 45 having been lowered, which depresses the shoulder 53, and the lever 65 elevated by the previous movements, Y

of'the parts, the "pin 52 'in its continued downward movement will next engage the said lever 65 which influences the bar 61 to again open the door. The pin 52, while engaging the lever 65, also bears upon the shoulder 53 to positively hold the leaf 20 down against any accidental movement. The parts are now all as shown in Fig. 3 with the slotted head 7 6 and the connected rod 50 in their lowermost position. It will be seen that the door has been closed and again opened while the leaf has been shifted form its vertical to its horizontal positions. At the same time the carton carried by said leaf has been distended to represent a box or package of goods standing out in plain View of the beholders. The motion of said crankshaft 72 continuing, the pin 52 is first relieved from its engagement with the lever 65 and the shoulder 53 thereby again allowing the spring 62 to urge the crank-lever 57 downwardly and close the door 13. The notch 55 then again catches the dog 41 and pulls upwardly the arm 37 and causes the leaf 20 to close upwardly. The pin 52 thereupon engages the free end of the lever 63 which is depressed when the door 13 is closed, and again forces the door to open, disclosing an empty cabinet. The door is again closed and the leaf changed to its altered position before the door is again opened. It will be noted that at all times the door is closed while the leaf is being shifted from one position to another.

It is thought that the construction of the apparatus and its mode of operation will be clear from the foregoing. The deception to the public and the illusion created may be heightened by various adventitious devices that are foreign to my present purpose and need not be stated here.

The invention is simple in its idea and the apparatus for carrying it out is relatively simple in its construction and eminently practical in its arrangement and operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is

1. In an advertising display device, the combination with a cabinet having a front opening door and a plane leaf pivotally mounted within said cabinet adapted to vibrate between a horizontal position and a vertical position, of power-driven mechanism to open and close said door, said mechanism also serving to alternately raise and lower said leaf during the successive closing movements of the door.

2. In an advertising display device, the combination with a cabinet having a front opening door, a plane leaf pivotally mounted within said cabinet adapted to vibrate between a horizontal position and a vertical position, and power-driven mechanism to open and close said door and synchronously vibrate said leaf as said door is closed, of a folding display apparatus secured to said leaf, and connections between said apparatus and a side wall of said cabinet whereby said apparatus is distended at one of the extreme positions of said leaf and folded in relatively parallel planes therewith upon the leaf assuming its opposite extreme position.

Signed at Seattle, Wash, this 17th day of April 1914.

CHARLES P. ROSS.

Witnesses HORACE BARNES, E. PETERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

